Mpls. tops 2013 list of fitness cities

INDIANAPOLIS - Minneapolis tops the American College of Sport Medicine's (ACSM) American Fitness Index™, which measures the health and community fitness status of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.

It is the third consecutive year Minneapolis has topped the ACSM list.

Like an annual physical or wellness exam, the sixth annual report evaluates the preventive health behaviors, levels of chronic disease conditions, health care access and community resources and policies that encourage healthy and fit lifestyles.

The metropolitan statistical area (MSA) of Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington scored 78.2 (out of 100 possible points) in the 2013 report to maintain its top ranking. In 2012, the metro area achieved a high score of 76.4.

Minneapolis ranked second on personal health indicators related to health behaviors, chronic health conditions and health care access. The area also ranked second on community/environmental indicators associated to the built environment, recreational facilities, park-related expenditures, physical education requirements and primary health care providers.

"We have issued the American Fitness Index each year since 2008 to help health advocates and community leaders improve the quality of life in their hometowns," said Walter Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, chair of the AFI Advisory Board. "As urban areas attract more and more residents, it's imperative for cities to create a built environment, fund amenities and form policies that get residents active and encourage healthy lifestyles."

ACSM worked with the Indiana University School of Family Medicine and a panel of 26 health and physical activity experts on the methodology of the AFI data report. Researchers analyzed data gleaned from U.S. Census data, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), The Trust for the Public Land City Park Facts and other existing research data in order to give a scientific, accurate snapshot of the health and fitness status at a metropolitan level.